From ‘Yatra’ to ‘Thalaivi’: Movies that captured popular chief ministers onscreen

The overwhelming crowds that accompanied former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy’s funeral procession to his birth place is testament to his popularity among the masses. As the state mourns the loss of the veteran Congress leader, we take a look at some of the movies that captured popular chief ministers onscreen.

‘Yatra’

'Yatra', also known as 'YSR: Yatra', was directed by Mahi V Raghav. The story revolved around the padayatra led by Y S Rajasekhara Reddy during his tenure as the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Mammootty who has essayed a chief minister twice in his career (he played a fictional CM in Malayalam film ‘One’), won the hearts of the Telugu audience playing YSR onscreen in ‘Yatra’. One of the film’s defining moments was Mammootty’s dialogue: “I knew the tactics needed to become the chief minister, but was unaware of what the people wanted. We have to hear what they have to say. We have to overcome these obstacles by knocking on everyone’s door steps and asking them.”

‘NTR: Mahanayakudu’

'NTR Mahanayakudu' is a biographical film, centered around the career of actor-turned-politician N T Rama Rao. Though the film was not a commercial success, it made headlines nevertheless. NTR’s son and popular actor Nandamuri Balakarishan played the titular character in the film, which also featured Vidya Balan. M M Keeravani was the music composer. NTR was an equally popular leader who was called ‘Anna’ by people out of their devotion for him. As chief minister, he introduced the mid-day meal programme in schools and also banned alcohol during his tenure.

'Thackeray’

Balasaheb Thackeray’s influence in Maharashtra politics is well-known. He was extremely popular among the Marathi-speaking community in the state, as he often spoke for the downtrodden. Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui played the lead role in the film, which had its share of controversies during its release. Nawazuddin was praised for doing a convincing job. Amrita Rao played Thackeray’s wife Meenatai Thackeray.

‘Thalaivi’

'Jayalalithaa' is undoubtedly one of the most popular chief ministers who ruled Tamil Nadu. Jayaa's grace and steely resolve made her popular even across the country. The actor-turned politician’s life was chronicled in A L Vijay’s ‘Thalaivi’. Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut and Arvind Swamy featured in this biopic. While Kangana played the title character, who was also fondly known as Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi, Swamy played M G Ramachandran. The affection the two leaders had for each other was also greatly explored in this movie.

‘An Insignificant Man’

'Aaam Aadmi Party' (AAP)’s historic win in the 2013 Delhi Legislative Assembly Elections and the rise of Arvind Kejriwal who went on to become the chief minister has been documented in the socio-political documentary ‘An Insignificant Man’, which was helmed by Vinay Shukla and Khushboo Ranka. The film was screened at several film festivals in India and across the globe, winning accolades.